Passau to Vienna by bicycle in 6 days (part of EuroVelo 6)

EuroVelo 6 is one of the most popular European cycling routes. It starts on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in France, passes through 10 countries, and ends at the mouth of the Danube, the second-longest river in Europe, where it flows into the Black Sea. The entire route is 4,700 km long, and I covered a 320 km stretch, which is very popular and praised for its beauty. This section follows the Danube’s banks from Passau in Germany, near to Austrian border, to Vienna in Austria.

I divided the route into 6 days:

• Passau – Aschach: 70 km
• Aschach – Enns: 50 km
• Enns – Ybbs: 60 km
• Ybbs – Krems: 61 km
• Krems – Tulln: 47 km
• Tulln – Vienna: 40 km

There are bike paths on both the north (left) and south (right) sides of the river. Both are paved along the entire route, impeccably maintained and well-marked. No special navigation tools like GPS or GPX are necessary, because literally every intersection is marked—just follow the green signs for Donauradweg R1.

The Danube is crossed by many bridges and hydroelectric dams, making it easy for cyclists to switch from one side of the river to the other. In addition to bridges, there are many ferries along the entire route that offer a more interesting (and more expensive) alternative for crossing the river quickly.

I occasionally switched from one side of the river to the other, depending on which side seemed more interesting or peaceful. On two shorter sections, the bike path exists only on one side of the river.

You can organize the tour yourself, but there are also many agencies that can do it for you—you just need to choose the number of days and direction of travel. The journey can become a slow, romantic tour of numerous castles, monasteries, and wineries, or a fast-paced adrenaline ride along one of Europe’s most significant and impressive rivers.